Ch.113 A Briefing with the Duke


    <span ss="userText">It''s been over a week since the fall of the ck Rose Mercenaries by the city of Ironside. When a group of three cloaked figures made it to the outskirts of the capital city Tairal.


    <span ss="userText">Their destination was a big manor that has the Duke''s insignia<span ss="aiText"> on it. The group stopped outside of the mansion and waited for the door to open<span ss="editText"> In the middle of the night<span ss="aiText">. Once it did, a guard stepped outside and bowed before them.


    <span ss="aiText">"Wee to Divalo<span ss="editText"> Manor<span ss="aiText">. Please follow me."


    <span ss="aiText">The guard led the way to the great hall where two guards were standing near the side door. One was a tall muscr man in fine clothes and the other was a short balding man with a full beard<span ss="editText">.


    <span ss="editText">"So, you three made it back. His lordship has<span ss="aiText"> requested your presence in his chambers."<span ss="editText"> One of the guards said<span ss="aiText">.


    <span ss="aiText">"Thank you, sirs," The leader of the group spoke up, he had shoulder-length ck hair and a long scar down his right eye.


    <span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">The Duke is in his usual spot. His butler<span ss="aiText"> will show you to him." The second guard said as they walked past the guards <span ss="editText">into the side entrance<span ss="aiText"> to the manor. They followed a path through the gardens until they reached arge oak door that lead into the manor itself.


    <span ss="editText">This mystery group consisted of a woman and two men. The woman was the Speaker Mage that connected Rodulf to the Duke. The other one was her bodyguard and the third man with the scar was the leader of the group. They only had a fourth member that was back at Ironside watching the crown prince.


    <span ss="editText">"How mad do you think he''ll be?" The bodyguard asked the man with the scar.


    <span ss="editText">"It''s guaranteed<span ss="aiText"> that he''ll be angry," The leader replied.


    <span ss="aiText">The bodyguard sighed, "<span ss="editText">I hate this part of the job<span ss="aiText">.<span ss="editText">"


    <span ss="editText">The mage was silent as she kept a calm face.


    <span ss="editText">


    <span ss="editText">***


    <span ss="editText">


    <span ss="aiText">They opened the door and entered the duke''s chamber. There was arge chair in the center of the room that looked like it could be fit for a king. On either end of the room s<span ss="editText">tood one man that looked like a butler and an older noblewoman<span ss="aiText">.


    <span ss="aiText">"My lord," The leader of the group said as he bowed deeply, "<span ss="editText">W<span ss="aiText">e have returned and brought news from Ironside."


    <span ss="editText">Duke ric Revelia looked at the three<span ss="userText"> with<span ss="aiText"> anger in his eyes. "<span ss="editText">If you three are here then that means Rodulf and his misfits of overhyped mercenaries have failed<span ss="aiText">."


    <span ss="editText">The man with the scar swallowed hard while keeping his cool.


    <span ss="editText">"That is correct, my Lord,<span ss="aiText">" The leader said with a bow.


    <span ss="aiText">The<span ss="editText">noblewoman looked angered and sad at that same time.


    <span ss="editText">Duke ric Revelia <span ss="editText">leaned back i<span ss="aiText">nto his chair, "<span ss="editText">How did he fail<span ss="aiText">?"


    <span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">When the ck Roses enved that Dark Elf, it seems that the crown prince raised an army almost immediately. They were ready to face the ck Roses<span ss="aiText">head-on<span ss="editText">from the start, my Lord<span ss="aiText">."


    <span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">So, Rodulf was outnumbered from the beginning,<span ss="aiText"> wasn''t he?<span ss="editText">But you<span ss="aiText">said it yourself didn''t you?... They should''ve been ughtered like cattle!" The Duke said.


    <span ss="aiText">The man with the scar started to sweat.


    <span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">They looked like they were about to im victory even with heavy casualties. But the fates smiled on the crown prince as his army was able to knock out the Dark Elf with a rare sleeping arrow<span ss="aiText">," The man with the scar said trying not to anger the duke.


    <span ss="userText">Duke ric Revelia raised an eyebrow<span ss="aiText">, "What does that mean?<span ss="editText"> Even if<span ss="aiText"> that Dark Elf <span ss="editText">was asleep the ver tool should have kept her in the fight once the sleeping agent wears off?"


    <span ss="editText">"From what we were able to tell is the crown prince has a unique ability to... destroy ve cors<span ss="aiText">," The bodyguard added.


    <span ss="aiText">"He d<span ss="editText">e<span ss="aiText">stroyed the cor?<span ss="editText"> Tch! So, my pathetic nephew had a trick up his sleeve. But how did he survive the fight with the Kings yer?" Duke ric said confused and annoyed that his nephew was still alive.


    <span ss="editText">"He was about to die when the Dark Elf intervened when she created a... earth golem. A really powerful golem<span ss="aiText"> that <span ss="editText">she turned on the main forces <span ss="aiText">destroyed half <span ss="editText">of <span ss="aiText">the ck Roses within minutes. They tried to retreat but she created more golems and hunted them down. There were few survivors," The man with the scar added.


    <span ss="editText">Duke ric closed his eyes.<span ss="aiText">"Tch! <span ss="editText">So, the Kings yer couldn''t take ca<span ss="aiText">re <span ss="editText">o<span ss="aiText">f <span ss="editText">a<span ss="aiText"> Dark Elf<span ss="editText">? After dealing with so many Kings, it was a little elf that<span ss="userText">done in the terrifying Jeremiah?" He<span ss="aiText"> said with anger.


    <span ss="aiText">The man with the scar <span ss="editText">shook his head, "No, he was doing well, your Lordship. During the battle, we finally f<span ss="aiText">ou<span ss="editText">n<span ss="aiText">d <span ss="editText">out how he was able to kill all those Royals. He had a unique ability to send whatever melee damage inflicted upon him back to his attacker. It seems that a golem just regenerates<span ss="aiText"> i<span ss="editText">t<span ss="aiText">s wounds.<span ss="editText"> It was only a matter of time before Jeremiah used up too much of his mana<span ss="aiText"> from all the fighting and died<span ss="editText"> to the Dark Elf."


    <span ss="editText">Duke ric stayed silent<span ss="aiText"> as he digested what the man with the scar said.


    <span ss="editText">He mumbled to himself, "Why have the fates gone against me and my family!? I''ve done everything to get my boy the throne. I poisoned my brother''s wife<span ss="userText"> Rianna so she couldn''t bear children. And she birthed that kind-hearted brat of a boy. I hire the ck Roses to aid Marcus in hopes of upstaging and abandoning Quinus in thebyrinth. And that weak heart fool of a nephew finds a Dark Elf to protect him. This boy has destroyed everything that I care about!"


    <span ss="editText">Finally, <span ss="aiText">Duke ric <span ss="editText">opened his eyes again and<span ss="aiText">stood up, "I will deal with this insolent brat myself! No more will I allow the fates to toy with me like some child. When I am done with this boy he will learn what the true meaning of pain is!<span ss="editText"> Belial get my general, I want to send my private guard to finish Quinus even if I need to go through the Ironside forces!"


    <span ss="editText">The man with the scare was hesitant to interrupt the Duke. But he needed to tell him the most important information<span ss="aiText">.


    <span ss="aiText">"Your lordship, <span ss="editText">it would be ill-advised to send your army t<span ss="userText">o Ironside!" The man spat out as fast as<span ss="aiText"> possible.


    <span ss="aiText">The Duke stopped and stared at the man with the scar. His face became pale.


    <span ss="aiText">"What do you mean<span ss="editText">ill-advised? Their forces shouldn''t be at full strength yet. They must be recovering as we speak!" He yelled<span ss="aiText"> angrily.


    <span ss="aiText">The man with the scar held his hand up, "Hear me out first. <span ss="editText">The Dark Elf was not only a powerful ear<span ss="aiText">th m<span ss="editText">age but..<span ss="aiText">.<span ss="userText">"


    <span ss="userText">The man hesitated<span ss="aiText"> for a moment, "<span ss="editText">She''s a healer that this continent has never seen<span ss="aiText"> before<span ss="editText">. If she wasn''t a heal<span ss="aiText">er <span ss="editText">t<span ss="aiText">he<span ss="editText"> Ironside army would have been around one-fourth its strength b<span ss="aiText">ut <span ss="editText">t<span ss="aiText">he<span ss="editText">y have been fully healed by her and only lost almost 20 percent of their forces. They might have lost none of<span ss="aiText"> them <span ss="editText">if<span ss="aiText"> the<span ss="editText"> ck Roses didn''t have her enved at the beginning of the battle. You would be walking into a ughter, my Lord<span ss="aiText">!"


    <span ss="editText">The Duke turned pal<span ss="aiText">e <span ss="editText">a<span ss="aiText">s <span ss="editText">all<span ss="aiText"> the <span ss="editText">b<span ss="aiText">lo<span ss="editText">od left his<span ss="aiText"> face.


    <span ss="editText">"This is unfair," he whispers to himself, "Why didn''t this Dark Elf choose my son... He was better in every way... She chose my<span ss="editText">weakling nephew instead<span ss="aiText">? I will make her regret that choice!"


    <span ss="aiText">He clenched his fist and slowly walked back to his chair.


    <span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">So, going out to Ironside would b<span ss="aiText">e <span ss="editText">h<span ss="aiText">an<span ss="editText">ding over the throne to my nephew as a gift<span ss="aiText">. Is that what you''re saying?"


    <span ss="aiText">The man with the scar nodded his head.


    <span ss="aiText">Duke ric s<span ss="editText">tayed silent as he was trying to think of another way to keep the throne from Quinus.


    <span ss="editText">After a few minutes, the man with the scar opens his mouth to speak but ric holds his hand up to<span ss="aiText"> stop him.


    <span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">c, if you wish to keep your tongue? I advise you to tell me something that I can use<span ss="aiText"> against my nephew."


    <span ss="aiText">c took a deep breath and cleared his throat.


    <span ss="aiText">"My lord, <span ss="editText">we left Dous behind to spy on Quinus and the Dark Elf as we traveled here. And we received a few of his messenger birds right before we arrived. There are a few interesting things<span ss="editText">. First, it seems like Quinus is not in a hurry toe back to the capital <span ss="userText">as he is letting the Dark Elf, also known as Saintess Rya to the citizens of Ironside, go to the Mages Guild. We don''t know when they n toe back but it seems we have time. Secondly, he spotted this Ryaing out of the Guild with a demonic tome in her possession. He doesn''t know what type of magical spell it may contain. But if it''s a text from the Demons, it can''t be good. Thirdly, he''s witnessed Quinus sharing the same bed with Rya. Dous was able to get close enough to hear the screams of pleasureing from her. The prince is soiling his royal oats with her. And thest message we got was Quinus has been secretly going to a jeweler. Dous found out it was an engagement ring. It seems like the prince ns to wed the Dark Elf."


    <span ss="aiText">The Duke''s<span ss="editText">eyes lit up with hope for the first time in a long time.


    <span ss="editText">He mumb<span ss="aiText">le<span ss="editText">s<span ss="aiText">, "<span ss="editText">Finally something I can use."


    <span ss="editText">The Duke looks at c as he had a nervous look<span ss="aiText"> on his face. He asks, "<span ss="editText">Is there anything else?"


    <span ss="editText">c bowed and said, "This is all we know of as of right now, your Lordship. If I receive another message from Dous. I''ll report it to you right away."


    <span ss="aiText">The Duke <span ss="editText">looked at the three people in front of him with a stony face.


    <span ss="editText">"You three may leave."


    <span ss="aiText">The three people bowed their heads and left the room.


    <span ss="editText">*BANG! SHUT!*


    <span ss="aiText">The door shut and <span ss="editText">the Duke just sat there<span ss="aiText"> thinking about the information c gave him.


    <span ss="editText">The noblewoman to his right<span ss="aiText"> asked, "<span ss="editText">ric! We can''t let that monster live! I know he must have killed our boy!<span ss="aiText">"


    <span ss="aiText">ric turned to her and <span ss="editText">yelled, "SILENCE!"


    <span ss="editText">His voice echoed through the room.


    <span ss="userText">She backed<span ss="aiText"> down and closed her mouth.


    <span ss="aiText">ric stood up and walked to a window looking out over the city.


    <span ss="aiText">"I<span ss="editText"> understand how you feel, Leandra. But as long as that Dark Elf is by our nephew''s side, he is invincible. There''s nothing we can do to kill him unless you know a Dragon on the Continent of<span ss="aiText"> Silvana<span ss="editText"> that woulde to our aid? That is if it doesn''t eat you and won''t start iming the Agon continent for itself?"


    <span ss="aiText">Leandra looked at the floor and <span ss="editText">clutched her fist.


    <span ss="editText">ric continued, <span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">That''s what I thought. So, we can''t fight him on the battlefield. That means we must fight him on the court of public appeal. He still has a kind heart and he listens to what the mob says about him. And if we can get the citizens of the kingdom to<span ss="aiText"> not follow him, then it will be easier to remove him from power."


    <span ss="aiText">"But he<span ss="editText"> has a healer! How are you so sure he won''t try to unify the continent as the emperor of Agon?"


    <span ss="editText">ric chuckled and said, "He has the body of a great lion but a heart<span ss="aiText"> of a small child. His weakness is that he cares too much about those around him. He <span ss="editText">doesn''t have the will to do what is needed to be an emperor."


    <span ss="aiText">Leandra looked at he<span ss="editText">r husband<span ss="aiText"> and <span ss="editText">aske<span ss="aiText">d, "But how do we convince them that he is no<span ss="editText">t<span ss="aiText"> good<span ss="editText"> enough to be the next King? Surely the mob will side with him after defeating thebyrinth<span ss="aiText">."


    <span ss="aiText">ric looked at her and sighed before answering, "<span ss="editText">The key is the Dark Elf, my dear. A Dark Elf that is reading ancient demonic tomes for evil things. A Dark Elf that stole the heart of the crown prince, that is using him for her own<span ss="aiText"> purposes. Most liking by<span ss="editText">inciting a war between the human kingdoms as she riles up the Divine Thre<span ss="editText">e. A Dark Elf that is interfering with the arranged marriage of Princess Hilda Stoneworthh that''s supposed to bring peace between the Alliance and Fiafyr. The people <span ss="editText">will see the danger thates with having a Dark Elf in the royal family."


    <span ss="aiText">Leandra looked at ric <span ss="editText">with a frown, "But he will still be alive while our son<span ss="aiText"> is dead!"


    <span ss="aiText">ric took his wife''s hand and kissed it before saying, "I<span ss="editText"> love our boy, but I<span ss="aiText">''m sure <span ss="editText">he<span ss="aiText"> would have done something stupid <span ss="editText">to<span ss="aiText"> give <span ss="editText">up the throne. Most likely to the Divine Three bastards. I don''t know how they got to the Prim<span ss="aiText">e <span ss="editText">M<span ss="aiText">in<span ss="editText">i<span ss="aiText">ste<span ss="editText">r Duval. But once the harlot gives birth to a boy the Alliance of the Divine Three will im the Fiafyr Kingdom as their own territory. And I''ll be damned before I let those zealots<span ss="aiText"> control this beautifulnd."


    <span ss="aiText">Leandra looked away and tears fell from her eyes. <span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">I''m sorry I was only able to give you one son<span ss="userText">, ric."


    <span ss="aiText">ric cupped Leandra''s face in his hands and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, "No need to apologize, my dear, <span ss="editText">you still created five girls that we were able to marry off to some powerful foreign countries for our benefit... Speaking of which that gives me an idea."


    <span ss="aiText">Leandra <span ss="editText">looked curious<span ss="aiText"> and <span ss="editText">aske<span ss="aiText">d, "Wh<span ss="editText">at<span ss="aiText"> idea?"


    <span ss="aiText">ric said, "<span ss="editText">I didn''t like the idea of that Princess being married to Quinus. So, I had my men do some digging into her <span ss="editText">personality<span ss="aiText">. Turns out she''s <span ss="editText">just a pawn for her father. Women have fewer rights in the Alliance and she is no exception. So, if she doesn''t marry the crown pr<span ss="aiText">in<span ss="editText">c<span ss="aiText">e <span ss="editText">she will be severely<span ss="aiText"> punished for <span ss="editText">failure. And she seems to be a clever girl from what my men could find out. So, I propose that we help aid her in getting Quinus to love her or let her use whatever means necessary to drive a wedge in between the Dark Elf and Quinus<span ss="aiText">.<span ss="editText"> That''s where youe in Leandra. You need to befriend her so I can give he<span ss="editText">r some foreign... Gifts to help her."


    <span ss="editText">Leandra<span ss="aiText"> looked at ric with <span ss="editText">curiosity<span ss="aiText">, "Gifts?"


    <span ss="aiText">ric smiled at his wife and said, "Yes gifts<span ss="editText"> from the ind nation of<span ss="aiText"> Ryliss. <span ss="editText">I''m sure our daughter''s husband will send us so<span ss="aiText">me he<span ss="editText">lpful gifts<span ss="aiText"> that will help our cause. After all, h<span ss="editText">is<span ss="aiText"> father is the head<span ss="editText">noble<span ss="aiText"> of the <span ss="editText">Pleasure Alchemist<span ss="aiText"> of Ryliss. I think we''ll get along well."


    <span ss="aiText">Leandra looked back at ric with a smile and said, "<span ss="editText">Aphrodisiacs? Well, I will see if Princess Hilda<span ss="userText"> will see<span ss="editText">k<span ss="userText">an old woman like me as her friend<span ss="aiText">. I will start nning our next move<span ss="editText">."


    <span ss="editText">"Good! And once <span ss="editText">the <span ss="editText">Dark Elf is gone I will kill that boy the first chance I get<span ss="aiText">," ric said with a sinister tone in his voice.


    <span ss="aiText">***